EVALUATION OF INSECTICIDES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF FIELD PEA APHIDS IN ARSI AND WEST ARSI ZONES, SOUTHEASTERN ETHIOPIA

Aphids severely limit the yield of field peas in Ethiopia. Another barrier in the research area is the improper choice and application of pesticides to control pea aphids. To close this knowledge gap, a practical evaluation of registered or available pesticides was conducted at South Eastern part of Ethiopia. Using field pea seeds in an RCBD design with three replications; the experiment included six treatments in total: five registered pesticides and one check/null application. The assessment result showed that the percentage of field pea aphid infestation as well as yield and yield attributes were extremely significant (P>0.05). Based on yield and yield component increase, three insecticides: Dimethoate/ Lifothoate 40EC, Profit72 EC/profenofos, and Hamectin 3.6 EC are suggested for test/equivalent areas among the studied treatments. Therefore, in order to control field pea aphids, I advise using pesticides sparingly and with caution, along with other non-chemical management methods.